Animals feel emotion in exactly the same way we do, they have a soul... They feel love, fear, inadequacy, failure, joy, pleasure, sadness…all of that and more, exactly as we do. It is a fact that their emotional or mammalian brains are as developed and evolved as ours.

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​At Hopethruhorses we want to educate and demonstrate to the public the extent to which animals feel. Through the herd, real life examples and case studies we aim to draw attention to how and why animals deserve the same empathy, understanding and respect that we give each other as humans. Our sentient herd plays a vital role…mingling with these kind and gentle creatures clearly demonstrates and enlightens all those who meet them of this essential and life affirming fact.

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​Animals navigate their world by using their capacity to feel and sense….sensing gives them an extremely accurate reading of a situation or environment. Through sensing and feeling they gauge the physical and emotional safety or danger of their situation or environment. In the company of the herd we teach this skill to help our visitors gain a deep understanding and sense of connection with the emotional depths and complexities of all animals.

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Groups or individuals are invited to join us in the company of the herd. Here we educate people on the subject of animal psychology and animal sentience.

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Our herd is extremely established…friends and family groups have been together for many years. This puts these particular horses in the perfect position to demonstrate the strength of long standing relationships and the lengths to which they will go for those they love. The herd provides the perfect opportunity to witness the horses displaying the same range of emotions as humans and the same corresponding and subsequent behaviours.

Observing such an established herd offers an extraordinary, unusual and eye opening experience which leaves the observer in no doubt at all that animals do indeed feel deeply and are in every way equal if not, in many ways superior to us humans.

Animal Sentience Education Project

Education programmes, promoting a greater understanding and awareness of the vital importance of animal psychology and mental/emotional well-being.

Working with:

Schools

Community Groups

Charities

Organisations

General Public

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We welcome all donations which help us to continue the amazing work we do.

Case studies

Neglecting the Emotional and Psychological needs of Animals is just as Abusive and Cruel as Physical Neglect...Of course you can choose to see these studies as coincidence or merely animal instinct, however when you look deeper, beneath the surface you know without a shadow of doubt that emotional intelligence lies at the heart of each situation.

Comet and Rosie

Comet has since died but during his life he governed the herd with military style discipline, fairness, kindness and strength. An exceptional horse and a powerful leader…the herd followed him unquestioningly to the ends of the earth.

Rosie was deeply, deeply troubled. Her hard, uncaring exterior hid a frightened, lonely and unhappy soul. The moment she walked through the gate and into the midst of the herd, her first response was to bare her teeth, pin back her ears and charge at Comet head on. Comet as leader was within his rights to challenge such behaviour, but extraordinarily he did not, he simply stepped aside. Each time she repeated the attack he did exactly the same thing, quietly stepping aside.

It became clear as this cycle of behaviour never changed, that Comet could see she was no threat to him. He could sense that she was a profoundly disturbed and shut off animal who no longer knew how to manage herself as a horse in the community of the herd. He chose to step aside without entering into her damaged responses and maintain his own dignity and stance as leader.

Angel, Bronwen and Julius

Angel was an angry, emotionally damaged ex polo pony, she had a negative attitude to people and serious, unhealthy attachment issues with other horses. When beautiful Bronwen gave birth to her second son Julius, she allowed Angel to share the care of the tiny foal. Julius spent as much time with Angel as he did his Mother. This brought out in Angel the sweetest maternal instinct which softened her whole demeanour with the other horses and with people.

Bronwen and I

I recovered from Anorexia because of the love I was given by Bronwen. I was full of fear, had no self-worth, felt a failure and useless….I had no idea how to receive or feel love. Tense and terrified I made horrific mistakes with poor Bronwen when she first came to us, because of my levels of fear……she not only forgave them all by remaining soft and gentle but also looked after me, taking the lead with kindness and strength, despite my fear, ignorance and utter incompetence. She saw through my inadequacies to the good intentions that lay beneath, nurtured me to emotional health and taught me to become her equal in mutual leadership.

Comet’s death

Comet had a fatal fall which left him unable to stand or walk on his back legs. Before the vet arrived to help him out of his pain, the rest of the herd became silent. They stopped eating, stood very still and dropped their heads. They remained like this until well after the vet had left and Comet was lying peacefully at the far end of the field.

The next morning they were all very separated from each other and quiet. Usually they congregate together, many of them touching….that day and for many days afterwards they needed their own space to grieve the death of their beloved leader.